Political funds questioned

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Political funds questioned

The main opposition Grand National Party on Wednesday decided to push for an independent counsel to look into political donations made by Kwon Roh-kap, a former senior adviser of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party and President Kim Dae-jung's money manager.

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party, in turn, called for revision of the Political Fund Act, to strengthen transparency in collecting and spending political funds.

Representative Kim Keun-tae of the ruling party, confessed Monday to not reporting 240 million won ($181,000) in political donations he received during the party convention in August 2000 to the central election commission. Mr. Kim said 20 million won came from Mr. Kwon.

Lee Jae-oh, the floor leader of the main opposition party, charged that at least some of the money Mr. Kwon donated to political figures likely came from bribes he or his associates received from businessmen.

While the ruling and opposition parties traded corruption accusations, Mr. Kwon told reporters Wednesday he did nothing wrong and would cooperate with any prosecution investigation.

"I can honestly pledge that I have never received money linked to irregularities or corruption," Mr. Kwon said.

But the controversy surrounding Mr. Kwon's money and influence persist.

Mr. Kwon, who retired from frontline politics last year at the insistence of party reformers, has said profits from two restaurants his wife runs fund his political donations. But pundits questioned that claim, noting that young lawmakers such as Representatives Chung Dong-young and Chung Dong-chae disclosed last year that they received monthly stipends from Mr. Kwon of 10 to 20 million won for six months in 2000, after the April general election.

Mr. Kwon's former aide wrote in his book that Mr. Kwon masterminded the 2000 general election with a virtual monopoly on allocation of funds and party nominations.

by Lee Sang-il

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